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March 8, 2011

For Department Heads: SIS update #4

Mainframe will be slow on morning of March 11, 2011In the early hours of Friday, March 11, 2011, the SIS team will be loading student records from the current system to the new system. Until 9 am, access to the current mainframe SIS may be very slow and, at times, perhaps intolerable. Performance should be improved over the course of the morning with slowdowns still possible. All activities causing the slowdown should be completed by 1 pm. Thanks for your understanding.

Admissions components available for approved usersThe Admissions module of the new SIS is ready to begin granting access to “application for admission” information (the current mainframe SI27 screen) to staff who need it to do their jobs. In the current mainframe, this screen allows users to determine the status of an applicant, view RAI and ACT scores, and see other related information. To see how this same information will be accessed in the new system, check this quick reference.

To gain access to this information in the new SIS, you will need to complete a "user access" form which is available here. The information about what you need access to has already been filled in for you (role and description). Fill in the "user access authorization" section at the top and Supervisor Signature at the bottom. One form must be completed for each individual needing access. Once you’ve completed the form, please FAX to Joy Thorson at 273-4718 or send through campus mail to 1148 Campbell Hall, 0475. As soon as the access has been granted, Rachel Jones will send notification via email with instructions for navigating to these screens. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Joy Thorson via email at joy.thorson@uni.edu

Student communication to beginIn order to prepare students for the transition to the new SIS, we will begin communicating to them and supporting them in multiple ways. We are planning to communicate about changes they will experience and do so through multiple media, we will provide training to many "helpers" across campus (those who might be asked questions by students, like RAs and computer lab employees), we will provide a range of online resources, and we will provide extensive public help sessions in Maucker and Gilchrist Halls once fall registration begins. Topics covered in our initial communication to students are parent/third party portal, new Student Center, course registration, new course numbers and new Advisement Report.

Training on registration-related tasks plannedRachel Jones, SIS Project Trainer, is preparing training that will cover common tasks related to student registration including approvals and removing holds. These sessions will also cover registration from the student's perspective so those trained will be able to answer student questions. Sessions are being planned for March 21 to April 1. Once confirmed, they will be detailed on the SIS website and in the next SIS Update.

The project website is here. If you need training help, contact Rachel Jones at rachel.jones@uni.edu or 273-4313. If you have questions about the SIS project, contact project manager Mike Holmes at mike.holmes@uni.edu or 273-4347.